Of course! “Vegetable Beef Soup” is the ultimate comfort food – hearty, nourishing, and deeply satisfying. It’s a complete meal in a bowl.
Here is a comprehensive guide to making a classic, from-scratch Vegetable Beef Soup, including a detailed recipe, tips for the best flavor, and ways to customize it to your liking.
The Ultimate Classic Vegetable Beef Soup
This recipe uses a two-step process (browning the beef, then simmering) to build layers of flavor, resulting in a rich broth and tender meat.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours (mostly hands-off simmering)
Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 6-8
Ingredients
For the Beef & Broth:
· 1.5 lbs (700g) beef chuck roast or stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
· 1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
· 1 large yellow onion, chopped
· 2 cloves garlic, minced
· 8 cups (64 oz) beef broth (low sodium preferred)
· 2 tablespoons tomato paste
· 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
· 1 bay leaf
· 1 teaspoon dried thyme
· Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the Vegetables:
· 3 large carrots, peeled and sliced
· 3 celery stalks, sliced
· 2 medium potatoes (Yukon Gold or Russet), peeled and cubed
· 1 cup frozen or fresh green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
· 1 cup frozen corn
· 1 cup frozen peas
Optional for Serving:
· Chopped fresh parsley
· Crusty bread or dinner rolls
Instructions
- Brown the Beef: Pat the beef cubes dry with a paper towel and season generously with salt and pepper. In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef in a single layer (work in batches to avoid steaming) and sear until browned on all sides, about 5-7 minutes total. Remove the beef with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Sauté the Aromatics: Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chopped onion to the same pot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 more minute, until fragrant.
- Simmer the Broth: Return the browned beef to the pot. Pour in the beef broth, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to release all the browned bits (this is flavor!). Add the canned diced tomatoes, bay leaf, and dried thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and let it simmer gently for 1 hour to 1.5 hours, or until the beef is fork-tender.
- Add the Hearty Vegetables: After the beef is tender, add the carrots, celery, and potatoes to the pot. Return to a simmer, cover, and cook for another 20-25 minutes, or until the vegetables are just starting to become tender.
- Add the Tender Vegetables: Stir in the green beans and corn. Cook for another 5-10 minutes, until the green beans are bright green and tender.
- Final Touches: Stir in the frozen peas and cook for just 2 more minutes to heat through. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve: Ladle the hot soup into bowls, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve with crusty bread for dipping.
Key Tips for the Best Soup
· Don’t Skip the Browning: Searing the beef creates a flavorful fond (the browned bits) on the bottom of the pot. Deglazing with the broth incorporates this into the soup, making the flavor infinitely richer.
· Low and Slow is the Way to Go: A gentle simmer is crucial. A rolling boil will make the beef tough and the vegetables mushy.
· Cut Vegetables Evenly: Try to cut your vegetables to a similar size so they cook at the same rate.
· Customize Your Veggies: This recipe is a template! Feel free to add or substitute with:
· Root Vegetables: Parsnips, turnips, or sweet potatoes.
· Greens: Stir in a handful of chopped spinach or kale at the very end.
· Other: Zucchini, cabbage, or lima beans.
Variations to Try
· Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Soup: Follow steps 1 and 2 (browning beef and sautéing onions). Then transfer everything to a slow cooker. Add the broth, tomatoes, bay leaf, thyme, carrots, celery, and potatoes. Cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours. Add the green beans, corn, and peas in the last 30 minutes of cooking.
· Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker: Use the Sauté function to brown the beef and sauté the onions. Add everything except the green beans, corn, and peas. Secure the lid, set to High Pressure for 15 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick release the rest. Switch back to Sauté, add the remaining veggies, and cook for 3-5 minutes until tender.
· Barley Vegetable Beef Soup: Add ½ cup of pearl barley when you add the carrots and celery. You may need to add an extra 1-2 cups of broth or water as the barley absorbs liquid.
Enjoy your delicious, homemade vegetable beef soup! It often tastes even better the next day after the flavors have had more time to meld.